This is my first episode on vitiligo, and my guest today is here to lay some groundwork about this condition, as well as other depigmentation conditions that are mistaken for vitiligo. My guest today is Dr. Raja Sivamani, a board-certified dermatologist who practices at Pacific Skin Institute. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Dermatology at the University of California, Davis and Director of Clinical Research and the Clinical Trials Unit. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the California State University, Sacramento. Dr. Sivamani engages in clinical practice as well as both clinical and translational research that integrates bioengineering, nutrition, plant science, cosmetics, and skin biology. With training in both Allopathic and Ayurvedic medicine, he takes a holistic approach to his patients and in his research. Join us as we talk about the causes of vitiligo, possible treatment options, and why it is so important to get an accurate diagnosis. Have you been diagnosed with vitiligo? Tell me about it in the comments! In this episode: What is vitiligo? How do you get an accurate vitiligo diagnosis? Other conditions that can cause pigment loss in the skin How to support skin that is losing pigment Sun exposure considerations when your skin loses pigment Integrative approach to vitiligo Quotes “You'll see patches of pigment loss, either on the face or on maybe, say, the arms or the trunk. And in some people, you can lose all of the pigment on the skin. But in most cases, that's not what happens. What happens is it's in set areas along the body.” [1:33] “Vitiligo's actually perhaps several different diseases all wrapped into one umbrella, or different variants. The standard thought is there's an autoimmune component, but there are other thoughts as well that there's too much oxidative stress in the body.” [20:41] Links Find Dr. Sivamani online Attend the 2020 Integrative Dermatology Symposium (for practitioners + now 100% online) Healthy Skin Show episode 076: What You Need To Know About Acne, Accutane & Antibiotics w/ Dr. Raja Sivamani Healthy Skin Show ep. 142: Psoriasis 101: What You Need To Know w/ Dr. Raja Sivamani Healthy Skin Show ep. 159: Grover's Disease: Lifestyle + Diet Shifts To Implement w/ Dr. Raja Sivamani Jennifer's appearance on the LearnSkin podcast: An Inside-Out Approach: The Role of Nutritionists and Nutrition in Healthy Skin Follow Dr. Sivamani on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter